Page 141 of Speak

My girl did a great fucking job.

From where I stand, the puddles of blood and piss are large. With the word CHEAT on his forehead, Thadd looks like Ashleigh simply tied him up, asked questions, didn’t like the answers and decided to just end him. Where Ashleigh sits on her chair, she looks defeated or relieved. The knife, coated in blood is laying at her side like it simply slipped through her fingers after offing herself.

I let out a low whistle as I survey it all. I should probably be grossed out, going back and calling the police. I should run away.

But that’s not who we are.

We’re dark and crazy with an agenda.

“Well, goddamn baby. You fucked them up.”

She comes back to me with a grin.Did I miss anything?

“Grab me a trash bag, I’ll clean out the fireplace and meet you in the car.”

When I get in the Rover she’s already inside waiting to speed to home, where I start a fire in the fireplace, remove her clothes and throw it all in, stoking it. She removes the wig but I remind her it’ll stink. To put it in a bag so I can throw it out on our way to schoolMonday morning. We make our way upstairs to shower and when she goes to remove the contacts I grab her wrist to stop her.

“Leave those in, baby.”

She does, and holy fuck, Happy Halloween to me.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Maverick.

I wake to a light dusting of snow on my window, Raven curled in my arms, her thigh over mine, head on my chest, hand tucked underneath my torso, warm and snuggly like a kitten. I kiss her forehead, whisps of hair stick to my lips and as I try to get out of bed, she only holds me closer.

Fuck my jog.

I stay in, with her, on this cold, November morning, watching the flurry of snowflakes outside of my window as they land lazily, accumulating.

It hardly ever snowed in my small town of Adelaide, Texas. When it did, even an inch of snow, everything shut down. Texans had no idea how to drive in the snow. Driving through tornado-like weather with surging rain that pounded so hard you could barely see through the windshield was fine... snow? Absolutely not. I will say it took me a few years after moving North on the East Coast to get used to the peaceful silence snow brought.

I look down at my angel to my left, pale skin, black lashes, silver and dark hair, her perfect lips a dusty pink contrast, beautiful, quiet, peaceful. A thing my soul can no longer live without. Even in the arms of two others, she still feels irrevocably mine.

It’s safe to say I’m also hers. She owns me.

I can hear the timer on my Keurig downstairs, letting me know my morning coffee cup is ready, and when she hears it, shemoves her head, and the soft kisses she places on my chest, the soft strands of her hair drag softly along my torso, tickling and all it makes me wish for, it that the morning was just a little longer. That I could stay here, in limbo, with my own Persephone, if she’d have me as her Hades.

Brown eyes blink up at me, and my heart caves inside my chest, filling me with an emotion I never thought I’d be able to feel. Never be lucky enough for it to linger even after the stark revelation that I…I love her.

Damon and Jonas say it so freely to her, as though it’s second nature, making sure she always knows and feels loved while I’ve been hesitant. Yes, sex with her is otherworldly, and having her in my arms feels wonderful, but here, now, with her brows furrowed, caramel gaze locked on mine, swimming in my t-shirt, under my blankets, leaving her scent on my pillows and in my sheets, I can’t think of a future without her.

Without hearing her cello playing from the other room, or how loudly she plays my vinyl’s on my record player downstairs in our study, catching her reading, letting me settle in behind her to read with her, even having dinner with the others, she sits by me and holds my hand, listening to every word I say, showing me she is dedicated, making me feel important as though…

Am I delusional enough to believe she could love a cold bastard like me? Commanding and anal-retentive, and fucking rude? I call hermuteandtongueless, by God. She should hate me. She should shudder at my touch and be repulsed and yet… she lays here, perched upon my chest, looking at me as though she could maybe, quite possibly love me, too.

Something twists in my gut and I have to leave here. I have to get out of her presence even though everything in me tells me to skip today, to stay in bed with her, fuck the students. I’ve never taken a day off. I deserve one.

But the other part of me, the one that’s crawling for the need to get away from her, from here, to think, to push past all of this, and just fucking go somewhere, anywhere, is what has me pushing her off me like the bastard I am and rushing to get my coffee downstairs that’s probably cold now and when I do, I give one last glance over my shoulder to see she’s sitting up and watching me, hugging herknees now at her chest, ankles crossed, hair cascading over her shoulder and arm like a chocolate waterfall and fuck I have to get out of here before my heart stops beating.

“Coffee,” is all I can fucking croak out because I am the toad and she is whatever princess it is that kisses the fucking frog but I’m no prince.

She kisses me and I’m still a fucking toad.

It’s war in my heart and in my head as I head down to my kitchen, Damon already down there, sippingmycoffee in some fancy mug he brought, scrolling through his tablet, telling me he’s reading the news. “Hope you don’t mind. I went ahead and made you one as well. Your favorite flavor. The Texas Praline.”

I inhale sharply, look at the fucking Keurig and see he also purchased a fancy thermos-like mug for myself and all I can say is, “Thank you,” as I grab the mug and sit at the table across from him when his phone vibrates.

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